Cardiff City have some tough decisions to make over the summer. Cost cutting will need to continue, but if they cut too deep, the club won’t be competitive and another wasted season awaits.

Some players they can’t afford to keep, but there are others they can’t afford to lose. The players that were shipped out on loan will return to clog up the budget once more, but they cannot be permitted to destroy any existing morale.

There are some, the likes of Javi Guerra, Kevin Theophile-Catherine and Etien Velikonja, who don’t appear to have a future at the club, but some of the others can be considered assets.

Adam Le Fondre, Kenwyne Jones and Matthew Connolly made considerable contributions this term, before departing to balance the books and each of them could be influential again next season.

Personally, I would be keen to see Jones depart. His goals have distorted his general contribution and when you factor in his reported wages, I think Cardiff could do better.

As for Le Fondre and Connolly, I would do my very best to ensure that each are in the starting line-up when next season commences.

Le Fondre does not appear keen to return and who can blame him. Having been first choice for the first half of the season, he was shipped off to Bolton and, depending on who you believe, has not heard from the club since.

He has also scored more since leaving, but that appears to be a recurring theme amongst former Cardiff strikers. It is not a club where strikers have excelled in recent years and Le Fondre has been candid in his views on Cardiff and preference for Bolton.

Le Fondre has made clear his “disappointment” that Cardiff has been “the only place I’ve not really scored goals,” claiming that they “played the kind of football that wasn’t really conducive to my style.”

He stated that the side “weren’t creating enough chances for me, or anyone apart from Kenwyne Jones on set plays,” also expressing disappointment at how his departure was handled, having said that Slade “said he wanted me, but to me it seemed like he didn’t.”

The move has also resulted in Le Fondre being closer to his home. Thus there appear to be plenty of obstacles in the way of a return to Cardiff, but the fact is he chose to join the club and still has two years left on his contract.

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Bolton may be keen to retain him but the reality is that it is very unlikely that they can afford to buy him.

It would certainly be in Cardiff’s best interests to keep an open dialogue with Le Fondre and each of their players out on loan. Their style of play may not have suited him, but should Jones depart, it is likely that without such a strong focal point that their approach will have to evolve to some degree.

A potential partnership with Joe Mason is particularly appealing and I’m sure that if Slade were to turn on the charm, the situation can still be salvaged. Le Fondre could be the 20-goal striker that Cardiff will need in order to challenge amongst the promotion contenders.

Connolly, who can play anywhere across the back four, is still an unsung idol at Cardiff, unappreciated despite always impressing when called upon. I think he deserves to be Bruno Manga’s partner in the centre of defence and his short-term departure was the most unnecessary and disappointing for me.

Whereas the Le Fondre move was dressed up as a move to help him regain his confidence and the Jones move was a hard-nosed business decision, the Connolly loan seemed poorly advised and largely pointless.

He has joined Watford, so is likely to achieve a remarkable fourth promotion from the Championship, but hopefully he does not impress enough to convince them to sign him permanently.

Connolly, who also has two years on his current deal, appears far more open to a return, stating, “I will always be respectful provided I am contracted to Cardiff. If I am wanted for next season then I will be there. If not then I will evaluate things in the summer.”

But you can also sense his surprise and confusion at the move, which echoes that of the Cardiff supporters.

“A few of the Cardiff fans wrote to me on Instagram after I’d left and they didn’t really understand the move away. But then a lot of stuff happens at Cardiff that the fans are not happy with. The decision to change from blue to red and things like players leaving. I always gave everything for Cardiff and the fans appreciated that. I was surprised to leave and I am sure the fans were surprised too.”

After a tumultuous year, it is clear Cardiff will need to build bridges with supporters and players. Not every decision can be a business decision, as some will need to be made in the best interests of the team.

They may have looked off the pace this year, but the core of a good side is still there and needs to be supplemented. Le Fondre and Connolly have the ability to elevate the side and need to be made integral. If Cardiff instead decide to cast them aside once again, they will find it very difficult to replace them on a limited budget with players of a comparable standard.